SOUTHGATE Bar & Restaurant is a casual-upscale bar/restaurant/lounge. The menu features American comfort food, prepared with style, based on classic French technique. SOUTHGATE’s cocktails are also classic, with modern twists, but unpretentious. Its wine lists are curated by wine expert Kevin Zraly, whose selections include a wide range of affordable gems and high end offerings. Late night offerings of food and drink are available until 1AM from Tuesday-Saturday. Join us for Essex Hour daily from 3-5PM for food and drink specials!

My family and I came into NYC for an overnight trupnas part of our Christmas gift to our kids. We stayed at JW Marriott and wanted to give the hotel restaurant a try. The restaurant is beautiful and has a great NYC vibe. The appetizers were great but unfortunately dinner was not. 3 out of the 4 of us ordered the steak. Sadly it was tough and grizzly. Extremely disappointing for the price.

Glasses on table were dirty. Service was terrible. Never asked us what we wanted to drink. When we finally asked for drinks, never asked if we wanted another. My husbands appetizer came out with dinner and his dinner came out when the rest of the family was done eating.

We had to change a reservation from breakfast to lunch and found that the restaurant was very accomodating to our needs. We had a drink at the bar on a busy Christmas Day then lunch at the window. The server was very busy with lunch guests but treated us especially well. We were in NYC celebrating our 55th wedding anniversary and our 75th birthdays this month. And we feel that we had a worthy occasion at Southgate.

We were here for lunch and enjoyed the sliders and the lobster tacos. There is a mid-century vibe which we understand, but we thought that the chairs, besides being a bit worn, were uncomfortable. I don't believe that is being too picky because the overall comfort is a major part of the experience. The sliders were excellent both in terms of flavor and the cooking temperature--not raw but beautifully pink and tender. Of the two items, we liked the sliders best but the tacos were also well composed.

Our waiter Randy was fab and the place is pretty. But like all hotels, the breakfast was way overpriced. Don't do the buffet (food was cold even in the heaters) and unless you must have juice and/or coffee which makes it more cost-effective , order off the menu so you get it freshly made and hot.

The food and service here were good, but overpriced for what you got. I know we were paying for the location (right on Central Park South), yet most of the restaurant is situated in the way back, far from the windows and the street scene. The bar is quite nice and well laid-out (also pricey, even for NYC - $12 draft beer! $20-25 cocktails!), but the restaurant shared the same space and seemed like an afterthought. Our server was excellent but stretched a bit thin that evening. Chorizo appetizer ($16) was tasty and plentiful, hanger steak ($38) also delicious but a little overcooked and not as juicy as it should have been. My husband had the lobster chowder ($18, dark in color, like it was based on tomato or a roux) and short ribs ($34), which he enjoyed very much. The other people in our party also enjoyed their meals. If you can stick to beer or avoid alcohol entirely, it will make a huge difference in your bill. We were out with friends for Valentine's Day weekend, and did not do this. They also tacked on an automatic 20% gratuity for our party of 6, which I thought was a bit bold, but maybe I am being provincial. In short, other JW Marriotts I have stayed and dined at were always a cut above and felt like something really special. This one was nice, but not special, and unfortunately not worth the price we paid.

The food was not great for the price. The ramen noodles were ok, but nothing special, while the scallops were fishy and bitter. For $20 and $40 respectively, I was expecting decency at least. Not to mention $20 drinks.I won't be back.

Disappointed in the service - our waiter, while very nice, was not attentive and would just disappear for a while, took a long time to clear our dinner plates, etc. We thought the cheesecake tasted old and stale (they are suppose to have excellent cheesecake). My husband got the chocolate crunch cake and he liked it. I was overall disappointed with the meal - thought it was overpriced and for the amount we could've gone somewhere with better service and food. We were there for a business meal and it was slightly embarrassing to my husband since he was there with clients.

We ordered from the bar menu as the dinner menu began at 5 and it was 4:30 pm. Two lobster tacos, 2 burgers, and 2 glasses of wine was $160.00 before tip, yikes! What would dinner have cost? I know it is NYC but that was too expensive.

I made a reservation for two for cocktails & to sit near the fireplace with a business associate. Poor customer service was an issue from the start. 1) Upon making my Open Table reservation Southgate told me in an online message to confirm the reservations the day before vs Southgate confirming with me. 2) I did call to confirm on a Sunday afternoon and spoke to a human (after the phone rang and rang). There was no issue with the reservation.3) Upon arrival, I was told there was a problem. The host that their information was that the reservation was made for 41 and that they'd been trying to reach me all day to discuss (I didn't see these messages until later that night). My confirm email from Open Table clearly states 2 but they would have none of it - and weren't gracious about it either.4) They did not seat my party at the fireplace (as reserved/confirmed) in available chairs, telling me another party had that space in 30 min.5) A manager came by to see me and all he did was repeat that I made a reservation for 41 people and they had tried to reach me. It was clear this was my fault somehow and they had no responsibility or plans to make amends for the inconvenience and drama in front of my business associate. He said he was going to go check with whomever might have confirmed by reservation on Sunday. I never saw or heard from this manager again.5) It took a while to get service -especially the second round. We had to ask as the wait staff did not pro-actively seek us out.

Had a $100 food and beverage credit for the Marriott Essex House. Decided to spend it here for lunch. We each had a bowl of lobster chowder which was delicious and shared an order of filet mignon sliders. They were also good. We also had 2 Bloody Mary's a piece. Bill was $173! Crazy expensive. Everything was pretty good but prices outrageous!

Went here to catch up with friends on a Thursday night and tried the vegetarian options from the restaurant week menu. My food was delicious and my non vegetarian friends thought the same about their food. It was a bit of a slow night for the restaurant as not many people were there, but overall it was a great restaurant and the service was excellent.